Chennai, March 13: The ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) formalized a seat-sharing agreement with its regional ally, Kongunadu Makkal Desiya Katchi (KMDK), for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections in 2026. Under this agreement, KMDK has been allocated two assembly seats.
The agreement was signed at the DMK headquarters, Anna Arivalayam, in the presence of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and KMDK General Secretary E.R. Eshwaran.
According to the deal, KMDK candidates will contest both seats using DMK’s emblem, the prestigious ‘Rising Sun.’ Following the conclusion of the seat-sharing negotiations and the confirmation of the alliance, Stalin departed from Anna Arivalayam.
This decision comes at a time when tensions are escalating between the DMK and its major ally, the Indian National Congress. The Congress party has cited its improved performance in recent local and national elections, demanding at least 35 seats.
However, DMK leadership is advocating for contesting at least 180 seats to secure a clear majority in the 234-member assembly. This has intensified the dispute over seat allocation between the two parties. DMK negotiators have indicated that Congress may have to settle for only 25 seats, similar to the 2021 assembly elections.
Sources reveal that Congress has also raised demands for representation in the state cabinet. Senior Congress leader Manickam Tagore recently stated, “Partnership in power is the need of the hour,” suggesting that a coalition government could better reflect the aspirations of allied parties.
Meanwhile, DMK remains committed to its traditional policy of “one-party rule” and is not in favor of including allied parties in the cabinet. The party asserts that the leadership in Dravidian model politics will primarily be represented by the DMK.
Notably, in the 2021 Tamil Nadu assembly elections, the DMK returned to power after a decade, winning 133 out of 234 seats, while Congress contested 25 seats and secured 18.
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